Persephone
by Annaelle
Summary: Of all the outcomes Emma had imagined, this had certainly not been one of them. This standoff before the gravestones that bear her, Regina's and her father's names, the entirety of the Underworld's population—what is left of it in any case—gathered behind Hades and Zelena, eyeing the proceedings before them with thinly veiled curiosity and fear. SPECULATION FOR SEASON FINALE.
**Just a short little speculation on how our heroes will get out of the Underworld. Never going to happen, but ah, the fun in writing something like this :p**

 **Spoilers for 5x18, I suppose.**

 **Thoughts?**

 **Love, Annaelle**

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 **Persephone**

 ** _"Lost in hell—Persephone,  
Take her head upon your knee;  
Say to her, 'My dear, my dear,  
It's not se dreadful here.' "_**

 _ **—Edna St. Vincent Millay**_

Of all the outcomes Emma had imagined, this had certainly not been one of them.

This _standoff_ before the gravestones that bear her, Regina's and her father's names, the entirety of the Underworld's population—what is left of it in any case—gathered behind Hades and Zelena, eyeing the proceedings before them with thinly veiled curiosity and fear.

Emma feels comforted to feel Killian's steady presence by her side, where he always should have been—stupid, noble, heroic pirate—and her father's strength and courage on her other side. Regina has wandered to the edge of their little group, hovering over Henry and Robin, who is cradling his newborn daughter in his arms.

Rumpelstiltskin is loitering somewhere in the middle, between Emma and her family and Zelena and Hades, clearly waiting for someone to tell him what they need from him now.

She barely conceals an eye roll and draws her attention away from the man who had True Love and let it slip through his fingers for _power_ —honestly, his willpower is so lacking it's nearly pathetic—and focuses instead of the God of the Dead, who is watching them with a rather petulant scowl.

"I don't believe you," Emma says slowly, eyes flicking back and forth between Zelena and Hades. "There's a catch. There is _no way_ you'd let us go this easily, not after everything you've done to try to keep us all down here."

Hades rolls his eyes and heaves a sigh, as though her wariness of his motives is unfounded and boring to him, before he replies. "It's quite simple, really. My beloved," he pauses and eyes Zelena, a disgustingly devoted smile twisting his lips, "has agreed to stay with me, on the condition that I let you all return to the realm of the living. A test of my love for her, I suppose. As such, I am offering you to leave—take your troublesome pirate and your little band of heroes with you."

They fall silent once again, and Emma _still_ can't quite believe what she's hearing when Zelena speaks.

"But," she whispers, her eyes wide and teary and her gaze locked on the little bundle in Robin's arms. "I wish to know my daughter. I want to see her grow up—I want to _be_ her mother."

"No," Regina pipes up. "You can't have both, Zelena. We can't just leave her down here with you."

 _"I'm her mother_ ," Zelena cries angrily, stepping forward with clenched fists as she glares at her sister, and Emma begins to wonder when Robin is going to speak for himself—it _is_ , after all, his daughter they're talking about, and he should be the one making choices that concern her, not Regina.

"Regina," the man in question finally says, raising a hand to touch Regina's forearm in a calming gesture. They lock eyes, and Emma can tell they're having an entire conversation without having to say _anything_ out loud—she wonders if that is the way she looks at Killian too. Robin steps forward, glancing down at his sleeping daughter before looking at Zelena again. "I don't trust you," he tells her bluntly. "You—you _murdered_ Marion… _Posed_ as her. What you did to me was worse than _rape_ —"

He cuts himself off, and Emma winces at the _hurt_ and _anger_ in his voice.

"I _can't_ leave her here with you," he finally says, before looking towards her and Killian and her father, and she can _see_ the conflict in his eyes, the reluctance to be the reason they'd be stuck down here with a very irate God on their tail, but she cannot find it in herself to blame him.

She knows that if it were Henry, she would _never_ just leave him in the Underworld, even if he'd be with Regina or Neal.

The silence that falls over the graveyard in the wake of Robin's words is deafening, and Emma braces herself for what will undoubtedly be an excellently performed, villainous speech from Hades, when Zelena speaks again.

"So stay here with her."

A cacophony of noise greets the suggestion, as everyone begins to speak at once, her father and Killian commenting loudly on the ludicrousness of the idea as Regina resolutely shakes her head, one hand on Henry's shoulder, the other gripping Robin's like a lifeline, and Hades stares at Zelena as though she had suddenly grown a second head.

Emma, however, cannot look away from Robin, noting his lack of response. He and Zelena seem to be locked in a vicious stare down, and neither one of them seems to be backing down anytime soon.

"How would that work?" He demands, and everyone falls silent, jaws ajar as they stare at the archer.

Zelena tilts her head to the side, eyes narrowing as she regards the man. "What do you mean?"

Robin snorts—an undignified sound as she'd ever heard him make one—and replies. "I have a son, in case you'd forgotten. I'd no sooner abandon him than I'd abandon our daughter. How would it work?"

"Well," Hades drawls, stepping forward with a rather salacious grin on his lips. "It could be quite simple. You bring your son down here. I'll even arrange for a nice, beautiful house for you both, if you so desire, and you can visit with your precious little girl whenever you wish."

 _"No."_

Robin, Zelena and Regina speak at once.

"I'm not bringing my _son_ to the Underworld as well." Robin glares at Hades and adds, "I didn't even want my daughter down here to begin with."

Emma draws her lower lip between her teeth as she watches thoughts flicker across Robin's face, and suddenly, she has a horrible epiphany, and she sees the only way this is going to end. Robin is far too noble to get them all stuck down here on his behalf, and she is willing to bet _anything_ that he'll go with the safest route for everyone involved.

She knows he knows it too.

"Robin, no."

The words have fallen from her lips before she can stop them, and everyone swivels around to stare at her, some gazes incredulous, while others are _horrified_ and _knowing_.

"You don't have to do this," Emma insists, shaking her head as she looks at him. "There's another way, there's _always_ another way."

He offers her a kind smile, one that makes her heart _ache_ , because a man as kind and strong as Robin does not deserve a fate as twisted and messed up as this, and she is the Savior, damn it, she should be able to _do_ something. "I do," he says slowly. "I've been living on borrowed time as it was. Until we figure out an arrangement that is good for all of us—" He looks pointedly at Zelena, "—I should stay here with my daughter."

"No!" Regina cries, and Emma's heart _breaks_ for her friend, because she _knows_ , she's been on the receiving end of losing your True Love, and it was only the thought of getting him back that kept her from going mad—she wouldn't wish that feeling on anyone.

Again, Hades interjects, rolling his eyes as he proclaims, "Ah, you mortals and your dramatics. Since I'm feeling so _generous_ today, I'll give you another _gift_. You," he gestures towards Robin impatiently, "may come and go as you please within the realm of mortals and death. Visit with your daughter whenever you wish. Until she is of the right age to begin school, I suggest she remain here, with her mother. After, I suppose Zelena could stand to part with her so the lovely little girl could get an adequate education, provided she spend her holidays with us."

Emma stares at him, as do Robin and Zelena, and she's surprised to find how _reasonable_ that actually sounds. While far from a regular co-parenting situation, Emma's fairly certain this is an arrangement that is even better stipulated than the one she has with Regina for Henry.

Robin nods slowly, looking down at the baby in his arms before he says, "I want that in writing. A contract. Before I formally agree to anything, I want you to make a binding contract for both of us."

Zelena is nodding along, eyes wide and pleading as she steps forward and asks, "Anything. May I hold her? Please?" Robin nods hesitantly before transferring the little pink bundle into Zelena's arms. Emma watches in astonishment as the wicked witch immediately begins cooing and bounding the baby, a soft, loving smile unlike anything Emma has ever seen on her face before curling her lips up.

"I'm staying," Robin tells Regina in hushed tones. "Until the contract has been made, and until I am sure my daughter will be well-treated and cared for here. I need you to go back. Take care of Roland for me, please." Emma averts her eyes when Regina and Robin hug, kissing goodbye tenderly, unwilling to intrude on what is clearly an intimate moment.

When Regina steps back, Killian moves towards Robin, clasping the other man's shoulder tightly. "Take care of yourself, mate. Come back to us as soon as you can."

She waits until everyone has had their chance to bid Robin goodbye before she steps forward, the words sticking in her throat before she's even had a chance to say them—because she knows he wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for them, and she's immensely grateful.

"Thank you," she tells him quietly as they hug. "Come back soon."

Once she lets go of him, she moves back to Killian's side, her fingers wandering down his arm until they curl around the cold steel of his hook. She uses the reassurance that having him by her side gives her before turning to Hades and demanding, "We'll do it. Take our names off the headstones. I'll give Killian half of my heart and then we'll go."

"No need," Hades waves his hand nonchalantly. "I've restored his life—it's quite easy, honestly."

Her heart skips a beat, and her hand is pressed to Killian's chest before she can process any kind of conscious thought, exhaling at the feel of his steady heartbeat thumping beneath her fingers.

"Now," Hades grins, "I'd say it was nice to have had you here, but we'd all know that's a lie. Until next time." His grin is feral, and the words make Emma's blood run cold, but then he waves his hand and all she sees is _blue_ flames and magic whirling around them.

And then it is gone, and for the first time in _weeks_ , she can feel the sun's pleasant heat on her skin, and the pressure of Killian's arm around her shoulders.

When she opens her eyes, all she sees is amazing, beautiful _blue_ , and then Killian's lips are pressed against hers—she hears both her father and her son protesting somewhere behind her—and she's falling into the warm embrace she had nearly lost forever.

"We're home, Swan," Killian breathes against her lips, hand pressed on her back, between her shoulder blades. "You saved me again, love." She smiles, leaning her head against his collarbone as her arms slide around his waist to hold him to her.

She _did_.

She saved him.

They're home.


End file.
